02/05/2026
Join us in welcoming Oksana Makarova to the Stina team! Oksana is a PhD candidate in Engineering Sciences at Harvard University, conducting her doctoral research in industrial ecology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As a research intern for Stina, Oksana brings expertise in plastic film and flexible packaging recycling, including work on quantifying post-consumer flexible plastic packaging waste flows and assessing their true recyclability—an important area for understanding and improving low recycling rates for plastic films. Her work aligns with Stina’s mission to turn complex recycling challenges into actionable insights that help industry, policymakers, and communities make better decisions for a more sustainable future.
Oksana is currently mapping the U.S. flexible plastic packaging (FPP) value chain to identify cost-effective and low-carbon pathways for recycling, while also examining renewable energy manufacturing processes to quantify and reduce embodied emissions. Her work on FPP leverages life cycle assessment (LCA), material flow analysis (MFA), and cost modeling to inform both industry practices and policymaking.
Through her work, Oksana aims to create systemic change in how we produce, consume, and manage resources—ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable future.
Welcome, Oksana! We’re glad to have you onboard.
